The Burn Bag Podcast

Latest Episodes:

FIFA's Pay-to-Play: Inside the Corruption of the World Cup with Ken Bensinger Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, A'ndre and Ryan talk to NYT reporter and author Ken Bensinger about FIFA and the corruption surrounding the World Cup. Ken's 2018 book, Red Card, explores the U.S.-led corruption case into FIFA that upended the world of international football. The conversation begins with Ken explaining the significance of football and the power of FIFA. We then dig into the rise of former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and how commercial success led to the growth of corruption. The episode concludes with Ken's perspective on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and why FIFA's efforts to increase transparency and accountability are just window dressing.
To learn more, check out Red Card: How the U.S. Blew the Whistle on the World's Biggest Sports Scandal and the Netflix docuseries FIFA Uncovered.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this episode are those of the hosts. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any host’s employer.

What in the World?: Biden and Xi at the G20, a Missile Hits Poland, and Death Sentences in Iran (11/18/22) Nov 18, 2022

Show notes

In this week's episode, the team talks about the 2022 G20 summit in Indonesia. President Biden met with President Xi, world leaders condemned Russia, and PM Trudeau received a stern talking-to. We also cover the alleged Ukrainian missile that landed in Poland, the leaked intelligence report about UAE influence operations in the U.S., and how social media spread misinformation about Iran.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this episode are those of the hosts. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any host’s employer.

"Strongmen": The Authoritarian Past and Present with Professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Ryan talks to Professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat about her book, Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present, and the contemporary history of authoritarianism. Ruth begins by defining authoritarianism and the subset known as "strongman" rule. She then tracks the emergence of this phenomenon, beginning with Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini, noting the ways in which these leaders come to power. The conversation proceeds with the tools of strongman rule and how modern authoritarians, such as Viktor Orban and Vladimir Putin, remain in power. The episode concludes with the ways in which authoritarians fall and Ruth's perspective on the future.
To learn more, check out Ruth's website and subscribe to her substack.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this episode are those of the hosts. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any host’s employer.

What in the World?: Burn Bag 2.0, the Twitter Hellscape, and Russia in Retreat (11/12/22) Nov 11, 2022

Show notes

We're back! The Burn Bag is kicking off its re-launch with What in the World?
In this week's episode, A'ndre and Ryan are joined by the new team and discuss Burn Bag 2.0. It also wouldn't be a What in the World? without talking about what in the world happened this week. Elon Musk has turned Twitter upside down and Russia retreated from southern Ukraine. We also discuss the UK's latest Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu's return, and what appears to be an end to the years-long civil war in Ethiopia.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this episode are those of the hosts. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any host’s employer.

The Killing Fields: The Legacy of the Cambodian Genocide and the Fight for Justice with Professor John Ciorciari Oct 05, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, A'ndre and Ryan are joined by University of Michigan Professor John Ciorciari to discuss the Cambodian Genocide and decades-long fight for justice. The conversation begins with how the Khmer Rouge rose to power and the ideological underpinnings of its movement. John also provides a background of the authoritarian leader, Pol Pot, and how he rose to power in relative obscurity. With Pol Pots rise also came horrific violence agains the Cambodian people, rising to what the International community has deems a genocide. John helps us dissect how and why the Khmer Rouge regime perpetrated this genocide and the how it finally concluded in the late 1970s. With the recent conclusion of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, John details the fight for justice, highlighting both the positive and negative implications of the tribunal's work. The episode concludes with a discussion of Cambodia today and the legacy of Cambodian Genocide.
To learn more about, please check out these resources recommended by Professor Ciorciari:
The Killing Fields, The Diplomat, Hun Sen's Cambodia, and The Pol Pot Regime.

The CIA Enters Afghanistan: Former Alpha Team Leader J.R. Seeger on the CIA's 2001 Entry into Afghanistan and Paramilitary Ops Against the Taliban Sep 28, 2022

Show notes

In this episode of The Burn Bag Podcast, A'ndre talks with former CIA Paramilitary officer and Alpha Team Leader J.R. Seeger on the CIA's 2001 insertion into Afghanistan in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the early days of the Afghanistan War. Seeger, who's had a 27 year career in federal service, led Alpha Team, one of the first CIA paramilitary teams to be dropped behind enemy lines in Afghanistan, and provides us with an oral history of the pre-war intelligence operations and CIA's efforts to consolidate the Afghan Resistance's efforts against the Taliban. Seeger, who can't necessarily discuss some of the specifics of his role on the ground in Afghanistan, nevertheless guides us through the history of the operations, including a discussion on the uprising at Qala-i-Jangi compound near Mazar-i-Sharif that resulted in the death of his team mate Mike Spann -- America's first casualty in the twenty year Afghanistan War.
Since retiring from federal service, J.R. Seeger has written a litany of thriller novels, which include the MIKE4 series, which focuses on a family of special operations officers spanning between World War II and the present day.
J.R.'s story and that of Team Alpha is also covered in Toby Harnden's book First Casualty. We interviewed Toby several months ago on their story, which you can listen to here.

"Turkey Under Erdogan": History, Authoritarianism, and Global Politics with Dr. Dimitar Bechev Sep 19, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Ryan talks to Dr. Dimitar Bechev about his recent book, "Turkey Under Erdogan: How a Country Turned from Democracy and the West". Dr. Bechev begins by contextualizing how Erdogan came to power, noting the liberalization of the 80s. He then discuses the political landscape in Turkey and critical power centers. The conversation then moves to how Turkey's democracy has been undermined by authoritarianism and whether there is reason for optimism in the upcoming election. The episode concludes with a discussion of Turkey's foreign policy, relationship with the West, and what the future may hold.

Lasting Legacies?: Remembering Mikhail Gorbachev and Queen Elizabeth II Sep 12, 2022

Show notes

In this special episode, A'ndre and Ryan discuss the legacies of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and Queen Elizabeth II. Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, is admired in the West but was a political persona non-grata in his own country. We dissect Gorbachev’s leadership, his relationship with Ronald Reagan and their drive for nuclear disarmament, his controversial relations with the rest of Eastern Europe, and how perestroika and glasnost contributed to the Soviet Union’s collapse. They spend the second half of the episode discussing Queen Elizabeth II’s legacy, her symbolic and cultural power even though her official role was that of figurehead, and how public memory around Her Majesty’s rule has changed and evolved, both accommodating and leaving out certain legacies, controversial and otherwise. A’ndre’s and Ryan’s conversation attempt to put a more objective, grey lens on the two leaders, assessing the good and the bad in a more critical manner.

"The Negotiator's Cross": Former State Department Psychiatrist Dr. Ken Dekleva on his new Mystery Novel Sep 06, 2022

Show notes

This week, Dr. Ken Dekleva, former State Department Psychiatrist, returns to The Burn Bag Podcast for the third time to discuss his brand new book, The Negotiator's Cross, a thrilling mystery novel following Father Ishmael, a Catholic Priest turned hostage negotiator, through a series of perilous situations. Dr. Dekleva pens Father Ishmael's journey across a series of locations that have figured into the author's own career, and Dr. Dekleva shares a bit about how his own experience in psychiatry and in leadership profiling informed his creation of the novel's set of intriguing characters. The novel itself tracks Father Ishmael's story after one of his parishioners had disappeared, believing the disappearance to be a cartel kidnapping, and Father Ishmael finds himself involved in a tale of "diplomacy, espionage, kidnap, genocide, and murder."
You can buy Dr. Dekleva's book on Amazon here.

One Year On: The War in Afghanistan, Refugees, and Supporting Veterans with Kyle Bibby Aug 29, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, A'ndre and Ryan are joined by Kyle Bibby, Deputy Political Director for Common Defense and Marine Corps veteran. Kyle reflects on the War in Afghanistan following the one-year anniversary of the U.S withdrawal. Having served in Afghanistan, Kyle discusses what it was like on the ground, noting the challenges of the U.S. mission in particular. He also highlights his personal experiences with Afghans to emphasize the strong relationship between U.S. troops and their Afghan counterparts, especially given the difficulty many Afghans have faced since the Taliban retook power. The conversation concludes with a discussion of the Afghan Adjustment Act and the Black Veterans Project.

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